Flexible shaft.



PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906. M. C. LOCKWOOD.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZQ, 1906.

rarnnr orinion MORRISC. LOCKWOOD, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR ()NE- HALF TO HARRY MICKLE, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY.

FLEXHBLE SHAFT Np. saaevv.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Sept. a, 19cc.

Application filed May-29, 1906. Serial No. 319,312.

.to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this s ecification.

This invention re ates to new and useful improvements in rigid rotatable elbow connections for shafts; and the object of the invention is to produce a device of this nature in which a shaft is adapted to transmit motion about an angle and comprises various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and then specifically detion.

fined in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Flgure l is a side elevation ofmy inven- Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the links of the shaft.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a rigid curved rod having a series of annular grooves A formed therein, and the ends of said rod are adapted to be swiveledin the ends of the stub-shafts B. Said stub-shafts B have series of teeth B projecting from their inner faces, and C C designate set-screws, which are passed through apertures C in said shafts, and the inner endof each set-screw is slightly contracted beyond its threaded ortion and is adapted to engage one of t e annular grooves A, said screws being adapted to move with the stub-shafts as they rotate aboutthe rod.

E E designate series of gears with teeth E projecting from the opposite ends thereof in alinement with each other in pairs, and'each of said gears 'E has preferably two apertures formed in alinement with each other and through which screws F are adapted to pass, the inner ends of said screws being contracted and adapted to travel the grooves A,

formedin said rod. The entire angle or elbow of myshaft is made upo'f these gearswith their teeth intermeshing, thereby afford' ing means whereby the ends of shafts connected to the stub-shafts of the series of said gears may be caused to rotate in unison about the central rod, which remains stationary.

By the provision of the central rod having the groovesin which the set-screws holding the segment-gears travel the segments are prevented from twisting or jumping from theirpositions under strain, thus giving as much power to the elbows as to the shaft.

From the foregoing it will be noted that by the provision of the apparatus shown and described a simple and efficient means is afforded for transmitting power through the medium ofan elbow, whereby a shaft may be caused to rotate'at angles for convenience or for an other purpose.

1. d rigid rotatable elbow connection for shafts comprising, in combination with two stub-shafts, a rigid non-rotatable rod having swivel connections with said shafts, and a series of intermeshinggears swiveled upon said rod and having gear connections with said shafts, as set forth.

2. A rigid rotatable elbow connection for shafts comprising, combination with two stub-shafts, a rig1d non-rotatable rod having swivel connections with said shafts, a series of intermeshing gears swiveled upon said rod, said rod being provided with a series of annular grooves, screws passing through said gears and engaging 'sald grooves, whereby the gears will be swivelly connected to the rod and connections between said gears and inner end extending into a groove in the rod,

and teeth upon the inner end of each stubshaft meshing with the teeth of an end gear of the series, as setforth.

a. A rigid rotatable elbow connection for shafts comprising, in combination with two stub-shafts, each having a recessed end, a non-rotatable rod with annular grocves therein having swivel connections in the recesses of said shafts, screws passing through 0ppositelydisp0sed apertures formed diametrically in each'stuh-shaft and leading into the recesses formed therein, and a series of intermeshing gears swiveled upon said rod and havin gear connection with said shafts, as set forth 5. A rigid rotatable elbow connection for shafts comprising, in combination with two stub-shafts, a recess in one end of each of said shafts, screws passing through oppositelydisposed apertures formed diametrically in each stub-shaft and leading into the recesses formed therein, a rigid curved rod having a series of annular grooves; each end of the rod engaging a recess in a stub-shaft in which it has swivel connection, and a series of interrneshing gears swiveled upon said rod, the adjacent end of each shaft having an annular series of teeth designed to intermesh with the teeth of the end gears of said series, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

MORRIS C, LOCKWOOD- Witnesses:

A, Honour, HARRY MICKLEG 

